Rosalind Penderwick
Rosalind Penderwick is the eldest of the four Penderwick sisters. She is the responsible, mature Penderwick and most often the OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick). Role After finally arriving at Arundel Gardens, Rosalind meets and immediately falls in love with a handsome young man named Cagney, Mrs. Tifton's gardner. Immediately, Rosalind is thrown into a whirlpool of emotions over whether or not it is really appropriate to feel in love with someone like Cagney at such a tender age while acting like a maternity figure to her three younger sisters. In The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, new neighbors move in, and Tommy Geiger begins to like Rosalind. While trying to sort out her feelings for him, she is also, along with Skye, Jane and Batty putting forth the Save Daddy Plan, to stop her father, Mr. Penderwick, from dating and falling in love, thanks to Aunt Claire. She later realizes that Iantha is the perfect match for her father, and that she and her sisters all want her as a stepmother. They construct a new Save Daddy Plan, and catch the criminal that was stealing Iantha's computer because he thought she was stealing his research, which was not true. Tommy then reveals his feelings for her, and they start dating. She dosn't appear often in the third book, but does in the beginning and end. Rosalind is the most responsible of all the Penderwick sisters. Despite this, Rosalind has lied to her father twice(once about what happened the night she went out for air and hit her head and once about the Save-Daddy-Plan). In book 2, for creating the Save Daddy Plan, she had to help Skye and Jane with extra household chores. Rosalind is in many ways a character that is a mother-figure to the other sisters, even though she is only a couple of years older than the other sisters. Appearance Rosalind is pretty, with dark curls and dark eyes, unlike her mother but similar to her father. Most guys say that she is pretty, according to Tommy. Batty and Jane had both remarked that Rosalind was the most beautiful of the four sisters. Churchie also mentioned how each of the girls were prettier than the next. Relationships Family Skye Penderwick Skye breaks more rules and is a little more rowdy than Rosalind. Rosalind cares for Skye greatly and often has to reinforce the rules or even "Shoot Daggers" with her. Rosalind seems to help Skye out, however, everytime she goes in to trouble. Mr.Penderwick Rosalind loves her father greatly but is a little too embarrassed to talk to him about her crush on Cagney in the first book. In fact, Rosalind actually lied to her father and didn't tell him the whole story about why she went outside, fell down and hit her end on a rock in the middle of the night. She also tried once to stop him from dating with her Save Daddy Plan. Jane Penderwick Jane and Rosalind usually get along well. Like Skye, Jane often breaks the rules.(Though not as much). Rosalind cares for Jane greatly as well, and often chides her for getting into trouble. Batty Penderwick Rosalind promised her mother when she died she would take care of Batty. Ever since then, Rosalind has been a mother figure for Batty. Rosalind is one of the only Penderwicks who can read Batty a satisfying bedtime story. Love Life Cagney Rosalind developed a huge crush on Cagney. She sent letter after letter to her best friend Anna telling about Cagney, who she learned a lot about. She baked so many batches of brownies for him it is said she could bake them in her sleep. She even bought a Civil War book for him, but he showed more interest in the book than Rosalind herself. Near the end of the first book, he gives her a rose bush. Tommy Geiger Tommy always had a crush on Rosalind, but only Jane noticed. However, he started dating Trilby in the second book, causing Rosalind to become jealous, though she denies it. Later, he breaks up with Trilby, saying she was boring, and telling Rosalind that she was pretty and suggests that they might go out when they are older. In the third book, the two are dating, and Rosalind greets him first when she comes back from her trip.